Which theory suggests that observational learning plays a crucial role in child development?

Bandura's Social Learning Theory is centered on the concept that individuals learn behaviors, norms, and skills through observing others. This observational learning is particularly significant in child development, as children often mimic the actions of parents, peers, and other role models in their environment. The theory posits that seeing others perform behaviors can lead children to imitate those behaviors, thereby shaping their own development and social skills.

Moreover, Bandura emphasized the importance of modeling, where the behavior of a 'model' serves as a template for learning. This process is enhanced by factors such as attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation, which collectively contribute to effective learning through observation. In the context of child development, this means that a child's social and cognitive development is heavily influenced by the behaviors they witness and emulate in others around them.

In contrast, the other theories mentioned focus on different aspects of development, such as adjustment to work represented in Hershenson's and Minnesota Work Theory, or psychosocial stages of development highlighted in Erikson's theory, which do not primarily emphasize observational learning as a critical aspect of child development.